Two plead guilty for running unlicensed assisted living facility
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Two owners of an unlicensed assisted living facility in southern Indiana pled guilty to felony deception for working without licenses, according to Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office.
Emma’s Place Assisted Living in the town of New Pekin housed between six to 10 elderly patients and had received complaints from families about improper care, including stage 4 bed sores that resulted in emergency room visits.
The release contained few details about those who pled guilty or the business, but a business filing with the Secretary of State’s office indicates that CEO Brad Edward King, 43, and President Jeanie Marie King, 44, incorporated Emma’s Place Assisted Living, LLC in April of 2019.
Court records reveal that the Kings, both of New Pekin, pled guilty to deception last month, nearly one year after their August 2021 arrest on the condition that the facility closes within six months. Both received suspended prison sentences and must serve probation.
Charges for practicing without a license were dismissed for both though neither had current nursing licenses, according to the Professional Licensing Agency.
Brad King’s license expired in 2016 and neither of the profiles for ‘Jeanie King’ matched in the Professional Licensing Agency’s database.
“The decision to move a family member into an assisted living facility is not easy,” Attorney General Rokita said in a statement. “But when you make this decision, you expect to be able to trust the people who are taking care of them. Whether it’s intentional fraud or ambivalence, it is a major concern.”
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, part of the Attorney General’s office, investigated and prosecuted the case.